Much of film is composed of CUs and hand-lettered captions. CU simple electric bell circuit with hand pushing button. Animated art card showing operation of electric bell circuit. Animation of electromagnet within bell circuit. CU telegrapher sending Morse code with old automatic key CU hand operating old telegraph key CU telegraph receiver clicking out Morse code CU telegraph tape being recorded in ink (looks a little like an EKG, electrocardiogram) Scene aboard a cable-laying ship, showing cable being hoisted and paid out VS small boats laying cable VS cable laying, possibly cable splicing operations VS ripples (waves) on smooth pond water CU hand showing mouthpiece of old "candlestick" telephone Animated art card with captions showing operation of telephone CU hand showing disc of phone microphone CU small pile of carbon granules taken from telephone microphone CU drawing of electric telephone bell with animated concentric circles, representing sound waves, emanating from it CU animated art card showing telephone mouthpiece receiving animated sound waves Desk-bound white-collar manager picks up candlestick-type telephone and begins to talk CU woman telephone operator at large switchboard. She wears headphones. CU white-collar manager at desk making notes and speaking on candlestick-type phone Art card animations of how telephone receiver works Animation of concentric circles -- sound waves -- emanating from phone receiver Another shot of same white-collar manager speaking on phone, then hanging up receiver CU hand picking up model of first commercial telephone and rotating it to different angles CU pan along first switchboard (1877) VS animated art card diagrams showing man's head and how people hear; various shots of internal organs of hearing superimposed on head. Sequence compares operation of telephone receiver to that of human ear. Animation of inner ear: hammer and eardrum, anvil, stirrup, fluid agitated by sound vibrations Various drawings showing nerves and nervous transmission of sounds to the brain Animation of sound impressions traveling to the brain CU still of man's head; face obscured, animated brain and nerves only shown; circular sound waves on left side coming into his ear and brain (funny shot) MS experimenter with "Jacob's Ladder" -- electric spark traveling vertically between two upright conductors CU animated sound waves (concentric circles) emanating from animated electric bell Animated art card showing continents of North America and Europe with radio towers on each coast and circular radio waves traveling from North America to Europe Animated art card (with labels as before) explaining operation of the "wireless telephone (radio) CU artificial lightning produced by generator; dark background, source of sparks barely visible at base Animated art card showing sound waves modulating electric waves Animated diagram with labels showing radio transmitting station CU Audion tube Animated diagram of radio receiving apparatus Pan up very old radio transmitting tower with horizontal arm Animation of radio waves being transmitted from North America to Europe
This VERY unique film, made in 1927, s probably the oldest industrial/educational film you'll ever get to see. Made with the intent of educating people on the wonders of sound, the film is more then a course on phone wiring, it's a great snapshot of how to make an industrial film in 1927. Many cool animations are used. As well, we get to see how the old style telephones were made. A quite unique film.
